The author of this blog, Dr Jeanette Buis, is a Legal English specialist who works with legal practitioners, professionals, and interns to build their confidence in speaking, reading, and writing English in professional settings, especially when dealing with international partners, colleagues, and clients. Having lived in Germany for more than 25 years, she understands the challenges German speakers face when using English in legal and business contexts.
A native English speaker from apartheid South Africa, Jeanette grew up in a rural town and faced her first major challenge when she moved to a cosmopolitan city to attend ballet school, first part-time and then full-time. Her resilience paid off when she received the Mignon Furman Medal in her final year at the University of Cape Town Ballet School (1989). Soon after, Professor David Poole (1925–1991) entrusted her with bringing ballet to the townships of Gugulethu and Nyanga on the Cape Flats, where she helped young people build self-confidence through dance despite the realities of poverty and prejudice.
In 1985, Jeanette left Belgravia High School before graduation in protest against the political system, later completing her schooling as a private candidate. She earned a B.Soc.Sci in Industrial and Organisational (I/O) Psychology and Industrial Sociology, followed by an LLB at the University of Cape Town. In 1997, she was admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa, completing her pupillage before passing the Bar Exam of the General Council of the Bar of South Africa that same year.
Shortly afterwards, Jeanette relocated to Odenthal, Germany, where she quickly mastered German, even completing an 18-month computer programming traineeship in German and serving as class representative.
Jeanette holds an LLM in International Commercial Law from Robert Gordon University (Scotland) and an LLD from the University of Pretoria. Her doctoral thesis, which was examined and approved by academics from Germany, Belgium, and South Africa, explored international legal initiatives and national legislation on human rights in global supply chains.
Today, she lives in Bergisches Land, east of Cologne, with her husband and two adult children. She enjoys cooking, reading, and working with people of all ages and backgrounds. A published opinion writer, she continues to work as a trainer, researcher, and translator.